The Atlantic Brass Quintet’s
Brass Intensive

SEMINAR COMPONENTS


Student Ensembles
The ABQ Brass Intensives program is structured to assist young brass players of the high school and college age.  Host institutions and their faculty artists are encouraged to assemble students from either or both arenas, especially for use as a recruiting tool.  Although the brass quintet medium is the heart of brass chamber music, other brass chamber ensembles may also be assembled according to ability and availability.  Pre-formed groups are of course welcome.

While flexible, the ideal number of student ensembles will equal the sum of the members of the Atlantic Brass Quintet plus the number of participating faculty from the institution.  Thus, if the brass faculty includes six members who will participate in coaching, there should be eleven student ensembles.  This structure ensures that each student ensemble will receive at least one coaching from a member of ABQ and a member of the local brass faculty.

Participating institutions should ensure that ensembles have been assembled prior to arrival of the Atlantic Brass Quintet to receive guidance in rehearsing their selected repertoire.  Repertoire for student ensembles is open to all works written, arranged, or adapted for brass chamber music ensembles, pending approval by the ABQ and faculty artists.

Coaching Sessions & “Plug-ins”
Each coaching is a 2-hour session under the guidance of a member of the ABQ or a faculty artist of the host institution.  Emphasis is placed on musicality, working as a team, chamber music sensibility, rhythmic and stylistic accuracy, stage presence, and overall musicianship.  Every student ensemble takes in “Plug-ins,” in which members of the Atlantic Brass Quintet perform in place of and along with the student participants.

Student Ensemble Performance Class
Recital-style performances by each student ensemble for the ABQ, brass faculty, and other student participants.  The ABQ and faculty take notes during the performances and offer spoken comments following each performance.  Each performance is recorded on videotape and all of the ensembles receive written commentary from the ABQ members and faculty, as well as the videotape of their performance.

“The Performing Musician Today”
A discussion group and question and answer session with the members of the ABQ and faculty.  Topics cover a full scope of the career possibilities of a professional musician, and advice on ways to reach goals.  Specific topics will include:
·    How to develop and maintain a chamber music ensemble
·    Chamber music repertoire
·    The business of music

Instrumental Clinics
Students participate in sessions with individual members of the Atlantic Brass Quintet.  These clinics involve discussion about topics including instrument technique, literature, history, mechanics.  These sessions may include individual student performance in master class format as well.